Soffit structure for staircases.



o UNITEDSTES- AT FFroE.

4 EDWARD EDMUND SCHACHNER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

sorrrr' STRUCTURE son s'rnrneasns.

provide a sofl'it structure which being composed of a plurality ofsections, is detachably supported u on correspondingparts of the staircase, w ich may be .manufactured so as to form a separate article ofcommerce and which, combining cheapness of construction withv greatstrength and an artistic exterior, will lend to the .stair structure'amassive and ornamental a p earance, while adding to its enduring quaities.

The present application constitutes a division of the. application forpatent Serial #379,504, filed by me April 14-1907.

ln the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like partsare similarly designated Figure 1 represents a fragmentary, sectionalelevation of a stair case having my improved soillt structure, Fig.

2- asimilar view showing a modilied'form of the sofit structure, Fig. 3afragmentary, transverse section taken through the stair case along aline 3- ,3, Fig. 1, Fig. 4- a fragmentary sectiontaken along aline 4-4,35 1 Fig. 1, loo ng downwardly (the soflit sec-A tions beingomitted),-Fig.` 5 a` rear eleva tion of the com leted structure lookingin the direction of t e arrow from a point A, Fig. 1, Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9and 10- views'illustrating diHerent forms ofv wire netting employedtoreinforce the treads, risers and soflits comprised in the stairstructure, and

Figs. 11 and 124- fragmentary views of rods the flanges 3, are at thejunction of the lower portionl of the. vertical parts with the adjacenthorizontal parts, oset to form angular Specification of Letters Patent.

originel application vmea April 14, 1907, serrer No. 379,504. Dividedand this Serial No. 398,299'.

Patented July 28, 1908.

seats 9 adapted to receive the extremities of angle bars 10, which beingarranged transversely between the two stringers, afford a firm su portfor -the stairs 8, lthe ends of which abut the vertical surfaces of thelatter. The stringers 2 are furthermore provided application med oeteber19, 1907.

with inwardly extending flanges 11, which lower edges, form seats forthe extremities of transverse, equidistantly arranged T bars 12 -beingdisposed longitudinally along their*` which may be secured to thestringers bx means of angles 13.

To lend an artistic appearance to the structure the under sides of theflanges 1 1 and of the T bars 12 are ornamented by moldings which attheir points of. intersection, are mitered as shown in Fig.. 4 of thedraw- 1n s. argl of the wings 12a ofv the tee connections, extending inone lane, form a ser/ies ofsupporting frames fllr the soi-fit sections14, transversely separated by the upwardly extending parts 12 ofthe Tbars.

The sections or panels 14, which collectively constitute the soilit 15,are roduced by molding a plastic substance,l pre erably a vmixture ofcement and sand in dsuitable'po- 'portions or a'composition of plasticand x frames.

To yrender the molded parts tenacious and durable they are reinforced bythe embedment of sheets of expanded metal or wire nettin 16, and `incase the sections are large, wit rods 17 which may be entwined with thenetting. The wire netting employed to this purpose may be constructed inany desired manner, preference being given to the forms illustrated inFigs. 6 to 11 inclusive, all of which are formed with protuberant partswhich aid in promoting the cohesion of the substances and reinforcinmembers com rised in the molded solit. he rods 17 emp oyed'inconjunction with the wire netting to reinforce the soflit sections arepreferably roughened by twisting as shown 1n Fig. 12 or by integralcircumferential ridges as villustrated in Fi 11, for the purpose oftheir cohesion with t e surroundmg plastic sub- The upper surfaces ofthe flanges 11 rendere The soilit, thus constructed and arranged,

is readily applied and combines in an inenpensive structure all theattributes of a massively constructed stair case, and its sectiorlnsmay'be made of standard sizes and kept in stock by dealers inarchitectural supp lies ready to be applied to the casing by simplyplacing them upon the series of frames formed by the iianges on thestringers and the transverse T-shaped connections.

The sollit of the stair structure may, if so desired, be vaulted asillustrated in Fig. 2 in which case the portions 11a of thestringerlanges intermediate the cross bars 1 2, as Well as the thereupondisposed soit sections 14" are curved.

Having thus described l my invention what I claim is z l 1; A soflitstructure for stair cases comprising inl combination,` parallelstringers esseci having longitudinally inturned flanges, and a ofsections removably supported wlthin the said frames by engagementtherewith of their marginal portions.

3. A .soffit structure for stair cases comrising in. combination,parallel 'stringers raving longitudinally inturned flanges, the saidflanges being composed of a plurality of consecutive arches, inverted- Tshaped supports connecting the stringere at the points of intersectionof the said arches and a soflit composed of a plurality of vaultedsections their marginal portions engaging the said iianges and the saidsupports'.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD EDMUND SGHACHNER Vlhtnesses:

` G. J. ROLLANDET, K. M. STUMP.

